www.irishtimes.com

Explanations: No. 14665 – Monday, 2 January 2012

Please feel free to leave a comment below. If you have a question about today’s puzzle I am sure that I, or a fellow solver, can answer it for you.

How did you fare with this crossword?

Across
8 Leader from New York raved madly about beer (2,6)
DE V(ALE)RA
“Raved” madly (DEV-RA) about “beer” (ALE) = DE VALERA: leader from New York. 9 One in a real mess that used to be seen on television a lot (6) AER(I)AL
In “a real” mess (AER-AL) one (I) = AERIAL: that used to be seen on television a lot. 10 Looking forward to Juan and Mother taking in a granny (6) M(A-NAN)A
Mother (MA) taking in “a granny” (A NAN) and = MANANA: looking forward, to Juan. 11 Mendel’s study is nice, and gets redesigned (8) GENETICS
“Nice” and “gets” redesigned, is = GENETICS: Mendel’s study. 12 Terribly shy in the photo for the medicine (6) P(HYS)IC
In “the photo” (P-IC) terribly “shy” (HYS) for = PHYSIC: the medicine. 13 Poor drainage for a showy plant (8) GARDENIA
Poor “drainage” for = GARDENIA: a showy plant. 15 What I tell the dog before I fish (4) H-EEL
Before “I” (H) fish (EEL) = HEEL: what I tell the dog. 17 A quiet standard the Spanish wear (7) A-P-PAR-EL
A quiet (A P) standard (PAR) “the” Spanish (EL) = APPAREL: wear. 19 Rich work you heard, just before Easter (7) OP-U-LENT
Work (OP) “you” heard (U) just before Easter (LENT) = OPULENT: rich. 22 A low woman a lot out of sorts (4) ALTO
“A lot” out of sorts = ALTO: a low woman. 24 Mother goes by car around Ulster for something Italian (8) MA-CAR-O-NI
Mother (MA) goes by “car” (CAR) a-round (O) Ulster (NI) for = MACARONI: something Italian. 27 Promise in the ship to get some weapons (6) S(WORD)S
In “the ship” (S-S) promise (WORD) to get = SWORDS: some weapons. 29 It’s not applied to the brats ordered to play a role (8) ABSTR-ACT
To the “brats” ordered (ABSTR) to play a role (ACT) it’s = ABSTRACT: not applied. 30 An idea for other changes just before the end of the alphabet (6) THEOR-Y
“Other” changes (THEOR) just before the end of the alphabet (Y) for = THEORY: an idea. 31 ‘Like some patterns’, a loud learner said aloud (6) F-L-ORAL
A loud (F) learner (L) said aloud (ORAL) = FLORAL: like some patterns. 32 Fish with Florence below (8) FLO-UNDER
With “Florence” (FLO) below (UNDER) = FLOUNDER: fish.

Down
1 He returns in irritation to go back over it again? (6)
R(EH)ASH
In “irritation” (R-ASH) “he” returns (EH) = REHASH: to go back over it again? 2 Get to the country from the continent, around the end of July after Malachy (8) MAL-A(Y)SIA
From, after “Malachy” (MAL) the continent, ‘Asia’, around the end of jul-y, ‘Y’ [A(Y)SIA] get to = MALAYSIA: the country. 3 How the soldiers walk into the river creates a diplomatic protest (8) DE(MARCH)E
In “the river” (DE-E) how the soldiers walk (MARCH) creates = DEMARCHE: a diplomatic protest. 4 Could these cases be about a horse ‘Silver’? (7) B(A-GG-AG)E
Be (B-E) about “a horse” “Silver” (A-GG-AG) = BAGGAGE: these cases. 5 He forbids the use of the headline (6) BANNER
He forbids the use of (BANNER) the headline (BANNER). 6 With a court order, he gets to squirm (6) WRIT-HE
With “a court order” (WRIT) he (HE) gets = WRITHE: to squirm. 7 Allow questionable actions around the North (8) SA(N)CTION
Questionable “actions” (SA-CTION) around “the North” (N) = SANCTION: allow. 14 Loads to share out, sounds like (1,3) A LOT
To share out (ALLOT) sounds like = A LOT: loads. 16 Enthusiasm for beer up North (4) ELA-N
Beer, ‘ale’, up (ELA) North (N) for = ELAN: enthusiasm. 18 Programme what to do with the toy, William (8) PLAY-BILL
What to do with the toy (PLAY) William (BILL) = PLAYBILL. 20 Particle one found in smashing protons (8) POS(I)TRON
In “smashing ‘protons’” (POS-TRON) found “one” (I) = POSITRON: particle (also sub-atomic like a proton). 21 Unsettled detail for circles seen in Longford (5,3) L(OO-SE EN)D
In “Longford” (L-D) “circles” “seen” (OO-SEEN) for = LOOSE END: unsettled detail. 23 Remove by raising fifty, if there’s a stylish chap (4,3) L-IF-T OFF
Fifty (L) if (IF) there’s “a stylish chap” (TOFF) = LIFT OFF: remove by raising. 25 It’s sweet to be back at sea, back about the south (6) AFT-ER-S
Back, at sea (AFT) about, ‘re’, back (ER) the south (S) it’s = AFTERS: sweet. 26 Sybil was one Carol deployed to the east (6) ORACL-E
“Carol” deployed (ORACL) to “the east” (E) = ORACLE: Sybil was one. 28 Ran around in the German sewer (6) D(ARN)ER
In “the” German (D-ER) “ran” around (ARN) = DARNER: sewer.